(a) Match the verbs in Column A to the correct phrase-endings in Column B.

Column A

Answer

Column B

(a) priced

(b) vetting

(c) spiralling

(d) burden

(e) saddled

(f) diminishing

(g) prohibitive

(h) let

(i) candidates

(ii) of debt

(iii) out of the market

(iv) with debt

(v) out of control

(vi) cost of third-level education

(vii) value of a college education

(viii) down by the system

(b) Now use the completed phrases to fill the gaps in the sentences below. You will need to use each phrase once only. You will not need to change the verb forms.

The rate of youth unemployment is________________.

Moreover, the________________ is putting many good students from disadvantaged areas off the idea of pursuing their studies further.

After all, the only option open to them is to finance their education through loans and face having to deal with a huge ________________ as they start into their working lives.

And yet, more and more today, recruiters________________ require that applicants for even fairly basic administrative roles have at least a foundation degree.

The ________________ is clear for all to see, so why is it then that something that is worth less nowadays actually costs more?

Those lucky enough to be able to pursue their college education are________________ on exiting the system, and will be struggling to pay this off for much of their early working life.

Graduates would be justified in feeling aggrieved and________________ , having been made false promises and given assurances about the opportunities that would present themselves on attaining a college education only to discover that their prospects are very bleak indeed.

And they also have to contend with the reality of having been ________________ when it comes to buying property; they will not get a foothold on the property ladder for a good many years.

Life for 20-something-year-olds

toil balance rat race exorbitant brownie points

midnight oil climate commuter belt suburbia

The notion of work-life 1.____________ is something many a 20-something-year-old would have a good chuckle at, for theirs is the grim reality of the 2. ____________ , which they are caught up in from the moment they leave university, if, that is, in the harsh economic 3. ____________ that exists at present, they are lucky enough to find a job in the first place. And to make matters worse, 4. ____________ house prices push them further and further out into the 5. ____________ , from where they have to endure long commutes to and from work daily. And even here in 6. ____________ , affordable accommodation is basically a thing of the past, so not only have they to contend with the debt burden they inherited on leaving college, they also have mortgage or rental payments to cover. In an effort to safeguard their precious jobs, and, indeed, their financial futures, they work tirelessly, doing overtime and staying in the office after hours hoping to score 7. ____________ with the boss. They return home late at night having burnt the 8. ____________ , tired and stressed, and with little time to unwind before they are into another day’s 9. ____________ .

Buying a House

Choose the word that best fits for each gap from the box below. Use each word once only.

prudence arrears foreclosure repossession negative equity

proportion bust plummet revelation deposit

There has never been a worse time to be in the house-buying game. Well, never, that is, assuming you are a first-time buyer. If you are an investor, you will likely be rubbing your hands with glee; after all, demand for rental properties has seldom been so strong. The average age of first-time buyers in the U.K. has now risen to 37, and this is a particularly shocking 1.­­­­­­­­­­­­­___________ when one takes into consideration the fact that parents are stumping up more and more funds towards their children’s first house purchases. The reason for this is that the 2. ­­­­­­­­­­­­­___________ of the funds banks expect first-time buyers to put up by way of a 3. ­­­­­­­­­­­­­___________ has increased considerably in recent years and can be 25% or more, depending on the individual circumstances of the applicant(s). But it is not that banks are being difficult or greedy per se; it is simply a matter of sensible lending. In countries like Ireland and Spain where the property market has gone from boom to 4. ­­­­­­­­­­­­­___________ , huge numbers of first¬time buyers are struggling in 5. ­­­­­­­­­­­­­___________ , unable to meet their monthly repayments and accumulating substantial levels of 6. ­­­­­­­­­­­­­___________ . And in such cases, banks have little option but to threaten 7. ­­­­­­­­­­­­­___________ . In this scenario, 8. ­­­­­­­­­­­­­___________ and the prospect of homelessness loom large on the horizon as the most probable outcomes. So it is hardly surprising then that banks here in the U.K. are looking to avoid creating a similar situation. And while the U.K., and particularly the London, property market has not seen the same level of fluctuation as those of either Ireland or Spain, it would not take very much to tip the market over the edge, and for house prices to then 9. ­­­­­­­­­­­­­___________. 10. ­­­­­­­­­­­­­___________ , it is clear, is the order of the day.

ANSWER KEY

Issues affecting School- and College-leavers

(a)

a iii b. i c. v d. ii

e iv f. vii g. vi h. viii

(b)

spiralling out of control

prohibitive cost of third level education

burden of debt

vetting candidates

diminishing value of a college education

saddled with debt

let down by the system

priced out of the market

Life for 20-something-year-olds

balance

rat race

climate

exorbitant

commuter belt

suburbia

brownie points

midnight oil

toil

Buying a house

1 revelation 2. proportion 3. deposit 4. bust 5. negative equity

6 arrears 7. foreclosure 8. repossession 9. plummet 10. Prudence

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